


New Moon

by mpa



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Golden Quartet, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts, Original Character(s), Werewolf, cliche and overdone but so so fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-07-09 18:38:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19892491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mpa/pseuds/mpa
Summary: What happens when a young werewolf goes to Hogwarts? Follow Maribella Piccinni's exciting first year, where she makes new friends and works on solving the mystery behind the Philosopher's Stone, all the while trying to keep her monthly transformation a secret from her classmates.





	1. Prologue

In 1988, the Piccinni family lived in quietude in a modest lodge in England, trying as hard as they could to segregate their family from the chaotic post-war environment the wizarding world was experiencing. The father, Alessandro Piccinni, worked from home, producing the finest wines from mistletoe and juniper berries, and the mother, Fatima Piccinni née Materazzi, worked at the Ministry of Magic, as a Magizoologist. The Piccinni household (named the Grotta) was, overall, very agriculturally-based, sporting seemingly endless vineyards and housing whichever creature Mrs. Piccinni was currently studying.

The three little Piccinni children, Maribella , seven; Giovanna, five; and eleven-month-old Marco, were free to roam the fields and play with the animals as they pleased, for the lodge, being as isolated as it was, provided no reason to worry the parents. And the children did spend most of their time in the long fields, meandering between leaves, accompanied only by the family puffskein, a hairy round creature they had named Nico.

Maribella Piccinni, being seven, was obviously the eldest of the three, which automatically made her the smartest and the coolest; the leader. She had dark brown hair, which was kept short on her shoulders, and a set of eyes that matched her hair color almost perfectly, both complementing her oval face and well-centered roman nose.

Giovanna, known most commonly as Anna, fell humbly into her role as the follower. The five year old was considerably calmer than both her elder sister and younger brother, and often grew irritated at their antics and carelessness. She was so different from the two of them, with her lighter hair and eyes, that sometimes Maribella meanly liked to joke that Anna was found and adopted by their family. Anna hated when Maribella joked like that; the cruelty always made her want to cry.

Marco, being the youngest, wasn't allowed out in the berry fields as much as the two girls. That never stopped his sisters from sneaking him out whenever they could. In fact, if one were to pay attention, they'd notice that you'd be more likely find Marco attached to his elder sister's hip, as she brought him along to her many adventures, than in his crib.

It was there that little Marco found himself on a sun-drenched afternoon, on the 7th of June. The three children, as well as Nico the Puffskein, had spent their day playing around in the fields, hunting for bowtruckles, curious twig-like creatures, and eating mistletoe berries, unaware of their surroundings. Maribella reached up the vines, in all her seven year old glory, and grabbed a few berries for herself and Anna, while Marco played around with the berries' leaves.

"Don't let Marco eat the leaves, Anna," Maribella said, as she jumped and flailed the vines, making a few berries fall by her feet. "Papa told me they can make our tummies ache. _A lot_ ," she added for emphasis.

Her words had the intended effect, and Anna scurried off to where their brother was sitting with Nico, to prevent him from eating the harmful plants. Maribella carried on munching on the fruits, delighting herself with its yummy juice, feeling even happier when she spotted a bowtruckle hiding among the leaves.

"Heya, little guy," she cooed, grabbing him by his small wooden arms. The bowtruckle, unhappy by her actions, struggled against her, eventually opting to sink its little teeth on her chubby baby fingers. "Ow! _Ow_!" she cried, letting go of him at once.

Anna, having heard her sister scream in pain, came running to help her out. Maribella 's lips quivered, and she started to hiccup, sure signs that she was about to cry. When Anna approached her, she hastily turned away.

"Mari," Anna started, her bottom lip starting to shake as well. Anna hated seeing her older sister, her leader, her idol, looking so vulnerable.

"Anna, just go call Mama," Maribella ordered in a small voice, clutching her finger tightly.

Sensing her distress, Nico rubbed his furry head against the girl's leg, and she slowly picked him up, letting him lick her wound, his long pink tongue adorning her finger as a band aid normally would. Anna picked Marco up and started making her way out of the vineyard in the direction of the Grotta, limping slightly under the baby's weight.

Maribella , finally alone, took the opportunity to loudly cry, moaning about the unfairness of the situation. Why, she had been a good sister today. She hadn't fought with Giovanna or lost Marco somewhere out of the house. Not only that, but she had spent a significant part of her day picking out berries for her siblings and Nico. She'd been a good girl, and she most definitely did not deserve being bitten by such a _vile_ beast.

It never did occur to her that the small bowtruckle wasn't the only beast wandering nearby, nor that it wasn't the most monstrous being to exist. It didn't even occur to her that she was alone and far from her parents, leaving her defenseless- an easy target. By that time, the sun had already started to set in a striking kaleidoscope of colors, and the full moon twinkled in the sky. The girl now sat quietly, hugging the puffskein close to her body, waiting for either one of her parents to arrive.

Suddenly, a branch snapped, breaking the serene post-crying state that Maribella found herself in. The seven year old stood up, deciding to finish her tantrum where someone could actually see and pity her, until she heard a growl. Having spent most of her childhood surrounded by various species of animals, Maribella was accustomed to the noises they'd make. This growl, however, wasn't one she was familiar with. It was threatening and it made her feel smaller and weaker than she actually was. Her rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath told her she'd better head home fast.

She started to speed-walk towards her house, eventually breaking into a halfhearted sprint, until she noticed something; she had forgotten her pet! Nico had been in the family for ages, and Maribella knew for a fact that Marco would not be able to sleep well not knowing where the puffskein was.

She let out a growl herself, frustrated she'd forgotten something so dear to her. She needed a solution, and she needed one fast. She took a few minutes to think, when it occurred to her: _Magic_! Of course, magic! Mama and Papa always used it around the house, and sometimes Maribella would too, accidentally or not, when she really _really_ wanted something. And she really _really_ wanted to find Nico. So Maribella tried to think hard of the spell she had often heard her parents use when summoning something, hoping that maybe if she just thought about it hard enough, it'd work;

_Accio. Accio Nico. Accio Nico the puffskein. Accio, accio, accio, accio…_

It didn't work. Oh, how Maribella wished she had a wand and could do magic! Or rather, how she wished she hadn't left poor poor Nico to be possibly eaten by the bowtruckles that inhabited the vines! She felt a wave of guilt, and promptly decided to run back to fetch him. She ran past the plants, whisper-shouting Nico's name, to no avail. The puffskein was truly lost. And, she realized as an afterthought, so was she.

She walked aimlessly through the fields, trying to remember which direction she had come from, when she spotted a small body, surrounded by a pool of blood. As she approached it, she realized it was a dead mooncalf, a creature that looked like a deformed lamb from the right angle, and could only be seen on full moon nights. There was a huge chunk of its neck missing, and giving a horrified yelp, Maribella backed away slowly, too scared to run off and protect herself. And there it was again, the crunching of leaves and sticks on the ground. She heard another growl, but this time it sounded like it was much closer, and, if possible, even more hostile.

"N-Nico?" Maribella whispered, knowing fully well that such small creature couldn't, and wouldn't, make such noises. "Mama? Papa?" she asked, her voice's intensity increasing with her fear.

She saw it then. It being a wolf, possibly of some rare species. It looked like one, at least, apart from its shorter snout and its strange eyes, which closely resembled a human's. Maribella stared at it, and it stared back. For a moment, it seemed like the creature was harmless, an innocuous animal simply hunting for its dinner, the mooncalf.

But of course, nothing was ever that simple, and when the animal bared its bloodied teeth, Maribella knew that she was in grave danger. She turned and ran like she never had before, crying and with snot all over her face, and no Nico to lick it clean. She briefly wondered if he too had been killed by the vicious beast, a thought that soon escaped her mind as she kept on running. The animal, it seemed, was toying with her. It'd run close to her, to the point where they were almost running side by side, and then let her sprint away, repeating the cycle over and over again, until the girl was so exhausted she felt about ready to just let it have her hand for dinner. But she didn't stop running, and it didn't stop chasing.

The animal caught up with Maribella one last time, before it pushed her over using its two front paws, making her topple by the sheer force of the shove. The beast stood over her, menacingly, and she shrieked, closing her eyes tightly and using her arms to shield her face. She suddenly felt a blinding pain on the base of her neck, and she realized it had bitten her. Her throat felt odd, almost as if it wasn't really a part of her, but at the same time, the pain she felt told her that it was, it _clearly_ was, and oh Merlin, she couldn't think straight, she just screamed and screamed and screamed, for her mama and Papa, for Anna and Marco, for stupid Nico who had got both himself and Maribella killed.

Maribella didn't want to die. She wanted to eat more mistletoe berries and she still had nine other fingers for bowtruckles to bite. She had a lot to live for! She felt a sudden intense urge to fight back. In the midst of her resolve, she felt stronger, not physically, but just… _stronger_ , somehow, as if the adrenaline empowered her. She felt all that newfound power just go _off_ abruptly, and blast the beast off her body. As she lay panting on the ground, she could hear the animal picking itself up, and once again moving towards her.

" _Everte Statum_ ," a voice boomed. Maribella hardly registered it, finally sinking into her exhaustion and letting the darkness take over.

* * *

On June the 7th, Alessandro Piccinni had been having a pleasant afternoon. This year's harvest was looking promising, and Mr. Piccinni had received a total of five solicitations for his wine from all over the continent just in the past few hours. So by the end of the afternoon, when his two youngest children came rushing towards him, complaining about a bowtruckle that had bitten his eldest, he was too distracted to pay any mind to it, and quickly dismissed Maribella 's supposed pain as a child's cry for attention.

Giovanna and Marco then began seeking their mother, but quickly became distracted by the ghoul they had found a few weeks ago living in their attic, and forgot all about the mission they had been given.

Maribella 's disappearance was only noted when Mrs. Piccinni arrived home from work, purse in one hand and a single pixie in the other, to find Mr. Piccinni, Anna, and Marco sitting around the dinner table, waiting for Mrs. Piccinni's arrival home to eat supper. Mr. Piccinni, still distracted by his paperwork, was dead to the rest of the world, and Anna and Marco were loudly attempting to play Muggle cards.

" _Buonasera_ , Ale," Mrs. Piccinni greeted her husband, who simply smiled and waved at his wife, gesturing towards his papers.

"Mama!" Giovanna and Marco shouted with glee simultaneously, as their mother moved to greet them both with a kiss on the forehead. "What did you bring home today, Mama?" Anna asked, glancing at the pixie warily.

"This, _tesoro_ , is a pixie," Mrs. Piccinni explained as she held the little beast up, so Marco could take a look as well, "they are very mischievous creatures and love to play tricks and practical jokes. Which reminds me..." she quickly scanned the dining room, "...that our own little pixie is missing from the dinner table."

"Maribella ?" Anna asked. Suddenly a look of horror appeared on her face, and she realized her mistake. "Oh no, Mama! Maribella is still out crying, she told me to come get you, but I forgot!" she exclaimed, and once again her bottom lip started to tremble.

"It's alright, _tesoro_ ," her mother wiped Anna's tears before they even started to fall, "we'll just go get her right now, then."

Giving Marco one last kiss on the head, Mrs. Piccinni, along with her youngest daughter, headed out to the fields to find Maribella . Drawing her wand, she casted a " _Point Me_ " to assist her in the search. Anna and Mrs. Piccinni walked quietly side by side, with the former clutching her mother's arm tightly, until they heard a faint scream.

"Mama, what was that?" Anna asked, and her mother replied with a quiet shush, as she mentally reviewed the most appropriate defensive and offensive spells to use, should trouble occur. Another scream was heard, louder this time, piercing the otherwise silent and peaceful night.

"Anna, I need you to go back inside, alright, dear? Go back inside and call Papa out to help Mama, okay? Keep Marco safe for me, tesoro, this will only take a few minutes," she said gently, but the tremble on her voice indicated how frightening the situation really was.

Anna ran back inside, as fast as her baby legs could take her. Meanwhile, Mrs. Piccinni rushed to the direction of the scream, silently praying that it wasn't her child making those noises, but some random creature she was meant to be studying.

But as mentioned before, nothing was ever that simple, and eventually Mrs. Piccinni did find the source of the screams, her child, being mauled by nothing less than a fully grown werewolf. She stood, paralyzed with shock, until the werewolf was unexpectedly thrown off, or rather, blasted off Maribella 's body, and the child groaned with pain. Mrs. Piccinni sprung into action shakily pointing her wand at the werewolf and screaming " _Everte Statum_ ", trying to put as much power in her voice as she could. The werewolf flew back, startled at the interruption. The witch didn't stop, casting the nastiest curses, spells, and jinxes she could think of, until the beast finally left, whimpering. The older woman then ran to the young girl's side.

"Maribella , oh no, baby, oh no." She sank to her knees, carefully scooping her daughter's small body in her arms, trembling and with a blurred vision from tears. "ALE! ALESSANDRO!" she screamed, panicked. Mrs. Piccinni, being the professional magizoologist that she was, knew that her daughter had to be immediately transported to St. Mungo's hospital if Maribella wanted to have any chance of living. Her husband was too far away, in the house, and she had no time to waste, so casting a quick Tergeo to clean the wound slightly, she apparated to the hospital.

"Werewolf," she managed to say to the healers, when she arrived, "please help," she finished breathless, too tired and afraid to say anything else.

As a group of healers took her child away from her, she cursed her own stupidity and the carelessness shown by Alessandro that day. They should've known that just because the war was over and You-Know-Who was gone, the world still contained dangers. The rest of the night passed in a blur. At some point she talked to Mr. Piccinni through the Floo Network, and at some point he joined her at the hospital. Neither could recall when it happened. At some point a healer came to talk, explaining that while there was a chance Maribella would survive, she would forever be haunted by the werewolf who had bitten her, for, from now on, every full moon night she would turn into a beast herself. And at some point, the two oldest members of the Piccinni family realized that, for better or worse (probably the latter), their family had changed forever.

"We've managed to heal her neck muscle on the inside, which unclogged her trachea and eased the pressure on her esophagus, so she should be able to breathe and ingest food properly again," a healer told Mr. and Mrs. Piccinni a few hours after the initial incident. "However, the skin around her neck is still very sensitive. We won't be able to fully seal the wound up until next week, and until then, she'll be in a lot of pain. Ms. Piccinni is currently under a magically induced coma. The accidental magic she displayed before you..." he motioned to Mrs. Piccinni. "...arrived, may be the single factor that saved her life."

"And what will happen after she wakes up?" Mrs. Piccinni asked in a small voice, somewhat afraid of what the answer would be.

"Luckily, when she does wake up, she won't need any assistance with her physical recovery, apart from the daily Restorative Draught she'll have to take, but emotional therapy is highly recommended. We will also provide you with a stock of Calming Draught, in case she isn't able to handle her current situation too well." The healer frowned, as if he was forgetting something crucial. "Oh yes. Unfortunately, as the two of you may be aware, Maribella has been infected with lycanthropy. The transformation will occur every month and will be extremely painful, especially during the first few full moons. The hospital will provide your family with a supply of Wolfsbane Potion for the initial six months, and um…" He conjured a piece of paper. "I've been told to give you this pamphlet. It will hopefully answer any remaining questions you might have," he finished awkwardly, quickly excusing himself to leave the couple to process all the information they had been given.

They stared at the pamphlet quietly. No tears fell from their eyes, as they both didn't have any left to be shed. They knew the next few days would have to be spent working towards acceptance and adaptation. They both quietly decided to make Maribella 's transition into werewolf-hood as easy and simple as possible.

* * *

When Maribella awoke a day after her eighth birthday on June 14th, she didn't immediately register where she was. She felt someone hold her hand tightly, and she felt an almost unbearable pain on her neck, but that was about all she noticed before she dozed off again.

Her father, who had been sitting on a chair next to her, was quick to call in a healer. Ever since that night, a mere week ago, he had felt incredibly guilty, blaming himself for what had happened to her. And to a certain extent, it was his fault. He'd been trying to help out as much as he could in the hospital, trying to make up for the negligence he had shown.

"When she fully awakens," the healer said, not unkindly, "you can take her home."

A few hours later, young Maribella awoke, confused and afraid, suddenly introduced to a whole new life she never asked to be a part of. She listened to everything silently, not speaking one single word until the healer and her parents were finished explaining her current situation. Afterwards she promptly burst into tears, and had to be given not one, but two Calming Draughts, before being brought back to the Grotta.


	2. Hogwarts?

_June 12th, 1991_

Years had come and gone since Maribella had first been bitten by the werewolf, and with them, countless full moons had passed. The young girl slowly learned what it truly meant to be a beast. Even within her own family, she carried around a heavy discrimination and intolerance with her name. They treated her with caution, as if they were dealing with an undisciplined wild creature rather than their daughter, their sister. She was no longer Maribella , the adventurous girl, she was Maribella , the reckless witch-turned-werewolf, who had to be watched at all times, otherwise she'd do another crazy imprudent thing and injure those around her. Their actions were mostly done unconsciously, influenced subtly by the stigma placed on werewolves by the wizarding society, but nevertheless, hurtful. On the 12th, however, the entire house reeked of a newfound excitement, product of Maribella 's approaching birthday.

"It's tomorrow! Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" ten-year-old Maribella laughed happily, as she picked Marco up. Tesoro, the family kneazle protested loudly. Marco had been caressing his furry white belly, and Tesoro wasn't too ready for it to come to an end.

Tesoro had initially joined the Piccinni family a few months after Maribella had officially turned into a werewolf. Kneazles were known for their incontestable aggressiveness, unforgiving impetuous temperament, and unwavering loyalty, and at the time, Maribella 's mom had felt that this was exactly the type of pet their family needed. "He is here to protect us from everything he deems to be harmful," Mrs. Piccinni often said, and indeed he did. No one had been bitten by a werewolf since his arrival. Because of Tesoro's 'guard dog' status and tiger-like appearance, his relationship with Maribella in particular started off being quite rocky, but they eventually grew fond of one another.

They were so close that that evening when Tesoro hissed threateningly at Maribella after she took Marco away, she knew not to worry, and didn't even spare him a glance, laughing loudly and spinning Marco around.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow!" the three year old mimicked his sister's previous words, giggling gleefully at her actions.

"You have to promise to write me from Hogwarts," Anna, now eight years old, demanded, pulling at her sister's arm, forcing her to stop moving.

"Of course I will, Anna. In fact, I think I'll write you everyday!" Maribella happily exclaimed, grabbing her sister's hand and starting to jump and play around again.

The two eldest Piccinnis watched from afar as their children joyfully frolicked around. They shared a sour look, knowing how devastated their eldest daughter would be once they delivered the news. The following day would mark Maribella 's eleventh birthday, meaning that she would soon receive her Hogwarts letter and attend the school in Scotland. However, due to Maribella 's complication, they weren't sure the young girl would be accepted into the school. She was undeniably a witch, having displayed innumerable magical acts throughout her life, but was teaching her worth the risk she'd inevitably be putting her fellow peers in? They weren't so sure.

So a few hours before the clock struck midnight and it truly was Maribella 's birthday, her Mama and Papa pulled her aside to talk.

"Mari," Mr. Piccinni started quietly. "As you well know, tomorrow is your eleventh birthday, which means that you'll soon receive your Hogwarts letter."

"'Course I know, Papa," Maribella said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We've been talking about it for ages."

"I know we have, sweetheart." He exhaled loudly, before continuing. "But instead of attending the school, wouldn't you rather stay here at home with me and Mama?"

Maribella raised her eyebrows quizzically. Hadn't he just been as excited as her only a few months before? He averted his eyes, looking rather tense considering that tomorrow would mark such an important date to them.

"You remember your Great Aunt Donatella, don't you? She was a very respected teacher back in her day, and I think I could get her to teach you a few of the basics," Mrs. Piccinni proposed nervously.

Maribella stared at her parents suspiciously, not understanding why they would ever reconsider sending her to Hogwarts.

"And of course there's also your… your problem, you know, Mari? We have a large stock of Wolfsbane good and ready to be consumed, and it'd be too troublesome for the headmaster to provide the exact quantity you'd need every month," her father finished awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed with the conversation.

Maribella wasn't buying any of what they had said. If her parents really weren't willing to let her go to the school, they would have told her ages ago. They probably wouldn't even have made it an option to their three children in the first place.

"Papa," she finally said. "What's really going on?"

Mr. Piccinni looked at his wife momentarily, before continuing hesitantly.

"It's just that…" he trailed off, not finding the proper words to express what he wanted to appropriately. "Well, sweetheart, there are no records of werewolves attending Hogwarts. At least no _known_ records," Mr. Piccinni finally admitted. "Your mother and I are afraid you won't be accepted into the school."

Maribella blinked once. And twice. Then her tears started to fall. Of course she knew her lycanthropy would've been an additional challenge she'd have to face at Hogwarts, but she had always thought of it as more of an… annoyance. An ever-present _massive_ annoyance that would greatly impact her days as a student, but one she could eventually learn to deal with, like she had at home. A _manageable_ annoyance. Not once had it even grazed her mind the possibility that she wouldn't be able to go to the school. So understandably, she was crestfallen.

"Oh, Mari," Mrs. Piccinni said, as she hugged her daughter tightly. "I understand it's awful to think that you might not be going to Hogwarts, but I promise you'll have a wonderful time here with us. Off you go to bed now, _tesoro_ , tomorrow _is_ your birthday and we can't have you tired at your party."

Maribella felt so utterly miserable and alone, she was fleetingly reminded of her first night transforming into a werewolf. That night was mostly remembered as a blur, accompanied only by an involuntary shudder, as she remembered the fear she had felt standing out in the vineyards of the Grotta, a place that she had come to associate with danger. Regardless of how she felt, she kissed her parents goodnight and went to bed. The next morning was met with a mood of sorts, and by late noon, when it was clear no letters would be arriving, no one really felt like celebrating.

"Hogwarts letters don't always come on a child's eleventh birthday," Mr. Piccinni pointed out.

But Maribella , ever the pessimist, had already given up on the letter. The days passed slowly, with no sign that it would come. By the time the June full moon arrived, on the 27th, the Piccinni family had already started to prepare for what looked like Maribella 's permanent stay in the household. So naturally, when dawn rolled around the next morning, the young girl was woken up by loud pecks on the window. She sat on her bed, still groggy from sleep and hurting all over from yesterday's happenings. She yawned loudly, and slowly opened her eyes. Although she could see the first rays of light painting the sky, it was evidently early. Anna was still sleeping soundly, and Maribella _never_ woke up before Anna did on the morning after full moons. Tesoro was probably the only one who was fully alert, as he sat by the window, staring at the family owl, which seemed normal enough. Except, her family didn't own an owl.

She clumsily scrambled off the bed, almost tripping over her blankets, as they too gracelessly fell off her bed. Reaching the window in record time, she threw it open and reached for the letter. She patted the owl's tawny head mindlessly, her pat's force increasing with her excitement, eventually turning into full on slaps. The owl screeched in pain, and moved to bite Maribella 's hand, but was scared off by Tesoro's warning hiss. Maribella , engrossed by the letter, took no notice. She was entranced by the Hogwarts emblem that graced the envelope. Her first thought upon sighting it was, _It's a rejection letter_. But did those even exist?

"Mama! Papa!" she yelled excitedly, running towards her room's door, this time promptly tripping and falling on the ground.

"Maribella ? What-", Anna, recently awakened by the loud shrieks coming from both the owl and her sister, mumbled slowly, still groggy from sleep.

"I got it! I got it, Anna, I got the letter!" Maribella interrupted, picking herself up from the ground, and shoving the letter on her sister's face. She beamed at her sister. Poor Anna was too drowsy to process what had just happened, so Maribella turned around, skipping down the hall just as her parents came out of their room.

"Maribella, go back to bed. It's still early," Mr. Piccinni said as the girl approached.

"Papa, I got my letter! I got my Hogwarts letter!" Maribella announced, too happy to try and contain her enthusiasm.

Her parents beamed at her, somnolence instantly vanishing from their eyes.

"You did? That's wonderful, honey," Mr. Piccinni smiled at his daughter.

"Let me see it, Mari," Mrs. Piccinni opened the envelope and took the letter out. "My, they are getting demanding," she said as she scanned the supply list. " _Crystal_ phials? Those cost almost eight galleons, we're getting glass ones. What is an eleven year old going to do with- Oh look Ale, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! We have an autographed copy, Mari, you can bring it along with you," Mrs. Piccinni said it all in one breath, almost as excited as Maribella .

"Can we go to Diagon Alley today?" Maribella asked,standing on the tip of her toes, trying to read the letter over her mother's shoulders.

"Well, I don't see why not, we don't have anything else planned," Mr. Piccinni answered, chuckling quietly at Maribella 's antics.

Maribella cheered loudly, her joyous laughter echoing through the house and filling the halls, feeling happier than she had in days, maybe even months, and she started to get ready to begin another chapter of her tumultuous life.

* * *

Maribella 's lasts few months with her family were far from fun. They weren't horrible, per say, but just so terribly boring. After the Diagon Alley trip, Maribella all but absorbed her school books, reading them well into the night. She looked forward the most to Care for Magical Creatures, eager to show off her signed book and advanced knowledge on the subject. Her wand was kept by her parents for safety, hidden among a few of their most useless trinkets, and as soon as Maribella found where it was placed, she yearned to take it out of its case and use it (which she did. Quite a few times, actually.) She had spent a great part of her childhood longing to do magic, and now she had a _wand_! A real wooden wand, that could cast the most peculiar of spells if she wanted it to, and she refused to spend another moment of her life without it. (It was only when her parents caught her attempting to levitate Marco that she stopped. She did hate disappointing them). She even played around with her cauldron, making mock potions with Marco and Anna. No matter how much fun she had at home, she knew it would all be ten times better at the school. If only summer wouldn't drag on for so long.

When September 1st finally arrived, Maribella was ecstatic. She was ready to go, robes on and kneazle under her arm, before her parents even awoke. When they did, they made her change into normal Muggle clothes and to put Tesoro down, as he unfortunately had to stay. Then, they sat down to eat breakfast _._

"Why, will you look at this, Fatima. Someone tried to rob a vault at Gringotts," Mr. Piccinni commented, casually flipping through the Daily Prophet as he ate a buttered piece of toast.

_The nerve of them, eating so calmly when we are clearly late_ , Maribella thought indignantly, as the kitchen clock cuckooed to signalize it was officially eight-thirty in the morning. Maribella gasped, as she slowly started to panic. The train would leave in exactly two hours and thirty minutes! Why, her parents were always reprimanding her about her impulsive personality, and now that she was trying to be cautious, they couldn't care less! Didn't they understand that she needed to get to the station early, just for insurance? She almost screamed in frustration when her siblings woke a good twenty minutes later.

The Piccinnis only arrived at the station two hours later. Maribella bounced up and down, anxious to get to Platform 9 ¾ as quickly as she could. She soon realized her family wouldn't be cooperating any time soon, as they walked slowly, taking their time to slowly examine every Muggle souvenir they came across, fully fascinated by non-magical London. She decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Come on!" Maribella urged, exasperated, and she grabbed Giovanna's hand and took off running towards Platform 9. She expertly dodged the passersby, with a level of agility she herself didn't recognize. Unfortunately for the two sisters, Anna wasn't as skilled, and couldn't keep up with Maribella 's panic-induced pace, and they ended up tripping and crashing onto a small plump woman, who stood nearby their destination.

"Sorry Ms.," Anna squeaked, flustered. She only got a quick glimpse of the woman's red-headed family, before Maribella started sprinting towards the dividing barrier between platform nine and ten, and Anna dutifully followed.

"Now, what's the platform's number?" Anna heard the woman ask, before she closed her eyes and disappeared through Platform 9 and 10.

A few seconds later, when Giovanna felt it was safe to once again open her eyes, she was met by the sight of a large scarlet train, caked by a thick layer of steam, and her own sister, standing under the plastic Hogwarts Express sign, mesmerized by the sight of the vehicle. The two girls were standing side by side admiring the train, when their parents arrived.

"Mari," Mr. Piccinni started, clearly out of breath. "Don't you ever do that again. You gave your mama and I quite a fright."

"You could've gotten lost, Maribella ," her mother said sternly, panting slightly and leaning on the trolley she was pushing.

"Sorry," Maribella replied, her tone light, not taking her eyes off the red machine. Mrs. Piccinni sent her a warning look, and she was quick to explain herself. "I'm sorry, Mama. I got excited, that's all," and she bounced on the balls of her feet, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt.

That eased a bit of the tension off her parents' shoulders. They smiled slightly at their eldest daughter and pulled her into a hug.

"I can't believe you're already going to Hogwarts, Mari," her Papa said.

"We'll miss you so much, _tesoro_ ," her mama completed. Even Giovanna joined in on the hug. Maribella graciously received the hugs and kisses, but pushed her family away as soon as she felt it would be acceptable to, before they all turned into a weeping blob, composed only of tears and snot. Nasty.

"I'll help you onto the train, Mari," Mr. Piccinni, perhaps being the most emotional there present, claimed, taking her hand and her trunk each in one hand and walking towards the Hogwarts Express.

"Bye Mama! Bye Gio! What- yes, I'll write you loads, Anna, we've talked about that- Love you too, Mama, send Marco my kisses," Maribella shouted over her shoulder, waving mother and sister goodbye one last time, before letting herself be dragged away by her father.

Together, the two managed to haul Maribella 's heavy trunk up on the train.

"I'll miss you, sweetheart," Mr. Piccinni sniffed.

"I'll miss you too, Papa," Maribella said. Planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek, she hopped on the train just as a loud whistle went off. The train was departing, and as it started to move, Maribella hobbled down the corridor with great difficulty, trying to find a compartment to spend the next few hours in.

So far, the Hogwarts experience was shaping out to be exactly what Maribella had expected. She found an empty carriage and she loved the soft screech the door made as she slid it open. She plopped down on the bench, and she loved how the wood felt under her fingertips. She looked out the window, and she loved how the British scenery she was accustomed with was slowly mingling together with the Scottish one, as they left England. She heard the laughter, the jubilant squeals that hovered in the air as students found their friends. She loved how-

"Excuse me, sorry," a voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up, startled, to find a bushy-haired girl staring up at her. "Have you seen a toad? A boy in my compartment lost his," Maribella noticed that the girl's mouth didn't fully close over her abnormally large teeth, but she chose not to comment on it. That wouldn't be wise, especially considering that the girl looked to be around Maribella 's age, and could be a potential friend.

"I haven't, sorry," Maribella said instead, shaking her head. The girl sighed quietly, and moved to close the door. "I could help you look, if you'd like."

The girl nodded and walked out of the compartment. Maribella leapt to her feet, proud of herself. She hadn't even arrived at the school yet, and here she was, already socializing.

"You go further down the train, and I'll look for it in the next few compartments," the girl instructed. "I'm Hermione, by the way," she decided to add as an afterthought.

"I'm Maribella , nice to meet you," and Maribella set off down the hall. She checked the compartments with friendly-looking people in them. Finally, she stopped in front of one containing only two young boys. Maribella knocked softly, trying to make a good first impression, before letting herself in.

"Have you guys seen a toad? My, um, friend lost his," Maribella asked when she came in.

"We've already told him we haven't," the one seating nearest to her, a redheaded lanky boy, huffed. A dark grey rat snoozed on his lap, twitching slightly. The boy held his wand in one hand.

"Are you doing magic?" Maribella asked, once she noticed it. "I tried some at home on my younger brother, but my Mama and Papa caught me before I could manage to do it. It was quite frustrating," she rambled on. "'Course, I don't think it would've worked anyways, levitating charms are quite complicated." Maribella was nervous. She hadn't felt nervous when talking to Hermione, but maybe that was because they had barely talked. She felt much calmer, though, when the two boys chuckled at her story. "Mind if I sit with you guys for a bit?" her voice trembled when she asked, but the boy nodded and she sat down beside him.

"I'm Ron," the red-haired boy introduced himself, waving his wand-hand.

"I'm Maribella ," she said back. "But you can call me Mari, if you'd like," the nickname made her feel more at home.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," the other boy said. The name seemed familiar, as did his messy hair and green eyes, but Maribella couldn't quite place him anywhere.

"Nice to meet you, Harry Potter," she finally said. Ron stared at her expectantly, apparently waiting for her to say something else.

"Don't you know who he is?" Ron blurted out a few second later, after she showed no signs of recognition. "Wait, hold on, are you muggleborn?" Maribella shook her head. "Didn't think so, you don't look lost enough- how do you not know who Harry Potter is, then?"

Harry Potter himself looked completely embarrassed.

"I just had a busier childhood, I guess," Maribella answered quietly. Her family didn't have time for 'celebrities', not when they had so many problems to sort out.

"Right, but-"

The compartment's door suddenly slid open. Hermione was back.

"Has anyone seen a toad- oh hi Maribella , you've checked this one, then," she said. Supposedly feeling more comfortable by the presence of a friendly face, she moved into the compartment and sat across from Ron, who looked quite taken aback by her sudden entrance.

"Are you doing magic? Let's see it then," Hermione bossed, spotting Ron's wand. Maribella had already forgotten about it, but was intrigued, as was Harry.

"Er, actually we- oh, all right." Ron cleared his throat, and turned to the sleeping animal on his lap. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." He waved his wand, but nothing happened. The rat stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said Hermione. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

Maribella had read all her course books at home as well, but after talking to Hermione she suddenly felt unprepared for the school year.

"Harry Potter," Harry answered.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

Oh. Guess Harry was a lot more important than he and Ron had let on.

"Am I?" said Harry, looking slightly dazed. So maybe he just… didn't know?

"You didn't know, Harry?" Maribella voiced her uncertainty. It seemed odd to her. How could this wizard boy, apparently very very well known, be unaware of his own fame?

"Goodness, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. She then looked at Ron, scrunching her nose up slightly. "And you are…?"

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Pleasure," Hermione gave him a slight nod. "Anyway, I'd better carry on looking for Neville's toad, if you won't, Maribella . You lot had better change, though, I expect we'll be there soon." And she left, leaving Maribella staring after her, bewildered.

A few seconds passed, and then the three of them burst out laughing.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand into his trunk.

"She isn't that bad, Ron," Maribella defended the girl, even though she secretly thought that _yes, Hermione was_ that _bad_. "Anyway, she's right about something, we should be getting at Hogwarts soon. I better go change," she stood up as she said that. "I'll be right back."

She went back to the carriage her trunk was in. Hastily throwing it open, she found her school uniform and hurried to the bathroom where she could change. Once she was finished, she scurried back to where her new friends were sitting, eager to be with them. Maybe because the train was moving too quickly for her to keep up with, or maybe because she was too distracted to watch where she really was going, but a few seconds later, Maribella found her cheek pressed against the floor. She had crashed into someone, and in the process, she had fallen on her face.

"Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her cheek as she stood again.

"Watch where you're going," the blonde boy she had bumped into snapped. He glared at her, then at his friends, two giant baboons who looked as lost as a nun on a honeymoon.

"I said I was sorry," Maribella said, irritated, but the boy wasn't listening. He was already sulking away with his two minions. Maribella instantly disliked him. Rolling her eyes, she continued making her way down the train, until she reached Ron's compartment. Hermione was just leaving when she arrived.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you. They made me leave because they are about to change," the girl said, as Maribella approached. Maribella had a feeling they hadn't only made her leave because they were changing clothes.

"Thanks," she replied, even though she didn't feel thankful at all. She knew she was being rude, but at the moment she didn't care. Hermione just gave her a strange look, then left. Maribella rested her head against the cool door, waiting for the two boys to change. She stayed there for a few minutes, until she felt they had had enough time to put their clothes on, and opened the door.

"What now- oh, hey Mari," Ron muttered when she came in.

"Don't mind him," said Harry. "He's just upset," and then Harry began telling her what had had happened before Maribella came in. She was surprised to hear that the same rude boy, named Malfoy, who she had talked to earlier had bothered her new friends as well.

"I bumped into him on my way here. Seemed like a right brat," she said.

"He is. That's what his family is known for," Ron said, finally joining the conversation. "You should've seen Scabbers, though," at that, he gestured to his rat. "A fighter, this one is. They were about to eat our food, but he didn't let them."

Maribella glanced at rat's sleeping form. At that moment, he really didn't seem like much of a nuisance. But she shrugged, accepting what Ron had said. Mostly because she didn't want to anger him any further.

"Sorry, Mari, forgot to ask. Would you like to have a chocolate frog?" Harry asked.

"Oh. Yeah, sure," Maribella grabbed one, staring at it uncertainly. "You know my mother studies these," she held the frog up so the boys could see. "Magical creatures, I mean. She's a magizoologist."

"What's that?" Harry asked, looking genuinely interested.

"Magizoology is the branch of biology that focuses on the structure, function, behaviour, and evolution of animals," Maribella answered. "She studies magical creatures."

"Oh. So kind of like a zoologist," Harry said.

"What?" Maribella asked, confused. That Harry Potter boy sure was a strange one. "No, like a _magi_ zoologist."

"Yes, but you see, zoologists- Oh, nevermind," Sensing his two companions' confusion, Harry was quick to change the topic. "Tell me more about magizoology."

"I told you about Charlie, my older brother, didn't I, Harry?" said Ron. "Well, he studies dragons. That's magizoology. I reckon your mum doesn't study these, though," Ron gestured towards the chocolate frogs. "They're _chocolate_."

Maribella glanced at the redhead and grinned, "I reckon you're right," and she put the entire frog in her mouth, chewing slowly, just as a voice suddenly echoed _"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."_

Hogwarts at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is up and Maribella is at Hogwarts! We finally got to meet some of our favorite original characters as well. Let me know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I know this whole 'Golden Quartet' business is a bit overdone, but I wanted to add my own character and do my own take on it. Please give it a try, and I hope you enjoy what I've written. Reviews and critiques are always welcome! Thank you


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